Supporting-rack.



E. G. METCALF.

SUPPORTING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY12.|915.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

E- 6- METcaLF stunner. METCALF, or CORTLAND, NEW YORK...

SUPPORTING-RACK;

I Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented NO 30, 1915,

Application enem 12, 1915. Serial Nc.27,625.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER G. MirrcALr, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Cortland, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting-Racks, of which the following is zt'specification, reference being had to the accomp'anying drawing.

My present invention relates tonew and usefulimprovements in supporting racks and has particular reference'to those of the type which are adapted especially for use in hanging laundried articles, such as towels, garments or similar articles.

Primarily, the invention aims to provide an improved form of rack which isrelatively simple in construction" and may, therefore, befcheaply manufactured, and is so designed .that while it carries a relatively large number of supporting arms, these members are so arranged and related to each other that they may be folded to occupy a minimum spacewhen the'rack is not in use. 7 I

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel form of supporting bracket. for the shaft or axle upon which the arms of the rack are mounted and to construct the bracket from a single length of wire, of relatively heavy gage.

The above, and other incidental objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the ace companying drawings, described in the fol lowing specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form part of this application.

ith reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the rack attached to a wall or similar supporting structure and disclosing thesupporting arms in extended position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rack as it is disclosed in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the supporting bracket in which the axle of the rack ismounted.

As embodied in the accompanying drawings, the rack includes generally, a supporting bracket 10, a shaft'or axle 11 which is supported thereby, a plurality of arms 12 which are swingingly attached to the shaft,

and a plurality of spacing sleeves 13 which are disposed to maintain the supporting arms in the proper spaced relation to each The bracket above designated generally by the numeral 10 is formed from a single length ofwire which is of relatively heavy gage and is bent upon itself, at one terminal as shown in detail in Fig. 3 to produce an eye 14. This eye M is adapted to receive a screw or equivalent fastening device, whereby the upper end of the bracket is attached to a door, wall or other supporting structure. After the upper terminal of the wire, forming the bracket has been bent to define the eye'lt, it is directedodownwardly along the body portion of the bracket for a slight distance and is then bentv laterally and at in 3 so that the upperv terminal. of the shaft ll'maybe journaled within the eye and spaced from the bracket. The lower end of the bracket forming wire is bent at right angles, as at 17.

At the terminal of the relatively short stub arm 17, is formed aneyelet 18, after which the wire is directed back along the portion 17, producing a portion 19. This portion 19 is of less length than the portion 17, so that an eye, indicated at 20 and formed on the outer endof a stub 21, which extends at right angles to the portion 19, maybe disposed in alinement with the body portion of the bracket. After the eye 20 is formed, the wire is rebent to form a stub arm similar to the stub arm 21 and is then bent at right angles to produce two arms 22 and 23 and an eyelet 24 similar to the members 17 18 and 19. i I

It is now to be observed that the axle or shaft hereinbefore described by the numeral 11, is terminally journaled in the eyelets 16 and 20. Upon this shaft are mounted the terminal eyelets formed on the ends of the arms 12. The arms 12 are each formed from a single length of wire which is bent to The lower sections of the arms ex while the upper sections of the arms extend in horizontal planes: The spaces between lie in a common plane so that the rack when not in use may be folded'flatly against the wall.

From the foregoing description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings, it Will now ,be observed that I have provided a relatively simple rack or wall bracket in which the arms are designed to fold in a minimum space and in which the shaft supporting arms are accompanied by an extremely simple form of supporting bracket.

Attention is now directed to the factthat the upper terminal of'the lower section 26 of each arm is disposedg when the arms are in foldedposit'ion, in frictional engagement with" the corresponding element's immediately below it. This feature isof importance, since this frictional contact bee tween the'lower sections of the several arms serves as a means whereby the arms are yi'el'dably maintained in folded position.

Thus, one of the arms may be swung out 'war-dly to'eXtended position and the rest of the arms will remain in folded position.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of this invention illustrated in thedrawings, and referred to in the above description as thepreferred embodiment, is

the mosteificient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction,, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, withoutsacrificing'any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by the appended claim.

lVhat is claimed is;

A wall rack including a supporting bracket, a vertical axle mounted therein, and a plurality of arms swingingly mounted on the axle, each of said arms being formed from a single length of wire bent to form upper and'lower sections which are disposed in a common plane, the arms being of diflerent lengths and having their upper and lower sections spaced from each other different distances whereby all of said" arms may be folded to lie in a common plane, the upper terminal of eachof the lower sections being disposed, when the arms are in folded position, in frictional contact with that lower section, which lies immediately below it.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature'in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER G. METCALF.

Witnesses:

AWVENORE. COURTNEY, ANNA M. DOBBINS.

(fopies ofitlifs patent my be olitei'ned for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPa-tents';

Washington; no? 

